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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23915359">Gentle Winds and Blooming Roses</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Echolocat/pseuds/Echolocat'>Echolocat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ib (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family Issues, Freeform, Ib and Garry mother each other, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, LGBTQ Themes, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Canon, Reunions, a lot of creative freedom, homeless Gary</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:08:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,602</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23915359</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Echolocat/pseuds/Echolocat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An exploration of Garry's backstory and life after the Promise of Reunion ending.<br/>Garry is homeless after leaving his family and returns to the town the Guertena exhibit was held in over a year ago. He encounters a lot of different people after finally meeting Ib again, but things are difficult. Ib's mother distrusts him, he can't find work, and Ib worries about his health.<br/>As the grandson of the great Weiss Guertena. Garry's life is destined to take strange turns.<br/>(Alternatively: Garry accidentally sort of becomes Ib's older sister and hopefully manages to get his life together with the help of Ib's family.)<br/>-&gt; I made up my own names for Ib's parents and Garry's family.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Garry &amp; Ib (Ib)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Blue Rose</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello and welcome!</p><p>I'm glad my story interests you and I hope your expectations will be met.<br/>This story is not supported by the canon of this game and is based on a fan theory. Garry is a very interesting character to me and I wanted to breathe some more life and backstory into him with that in mind.<br/>Ib and its characters do not belong to me, nor am I trying to make a profit off of this fanfiction.<br/>If you have any concerns, questions, or criticism please don't hesitate to leave a comment and I'll answer to the best of my abilities.</p><p>I do hope you enjoy it!<br/>I recommend listening to calm guitar music while reading this.</p><p>-----</p><p>Garry's family:<br/>(non-canon names and family members)</p><p>Weiss Guertena: Grandfather (mothers side)<br/>Lavender Starling: Mother<br/>Olive Guertena: Aunt (mothers side)<br/>Vincent Starling: Father</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If there was any anger left in his chest, he surely would have mistaken it for sorrow and frustration. Anger didn’t suit him, even his body knew this. Because of that, the tears that stained Garrys cheeks felt so heavy. He knew crying wasn’t the answer, but he couldn’t stop himself when everything felt like it was robbing him of oxygen, bitter words mercilessly pressing down on his chest and throat until he felt it was impossible to breathe. His mother looked so sad and detached seeing him cry over something she herself couldn’t grasp. Garry wished she’d taken his side, maybe even accompanied him. But the way her gaze drifted into nothingness the moment her late father was mentioned told him it was a futile wish.</p><p> </p><p>His aunt was never too fond of him, even back then. Maybe the reason for that being her general dislike of children. Still, she robbed Garry of many things. He’d like to believe her when she said it was out of concern, but when she looked at him scornfully, telling him he turned out wrong, that he was a disappointment, Garry had a hard time believing Olive said any of these things without bitterness and spite. They never got along but somehow his aunt had always ended up taking care of him, dictating his life. Lavender didn’t even try to stop her sister, often too lost in the world inside her own head to care about anything at all. His father helped a little. He tried to talk to Olive on multiple occasions and they fought a lot, yet even then he agreed with too many things Garry's aunt had said about her nephew.</p><p> </p><p>Regardless of the missing support of his family, Garry liked to think he turned out alright. Naturally, he had a lot of regrets, made stupid decisions, but overall he wasn’t ashamed of who he was. A quiet and thoughtful young man he was, sensitive and caring. Even when treated unkindly, he was never able to truly hate someone. Thus, he drifted between getting attached too quickly and not being able to be open up. Garry did have positive experiences when telling others more about himself, but more often than not it had caused him too much trouble to be worth it.</p><p> </p><p>A big regret he carried was telling his family that he wanted to visit the art exhibit honoring the life of the late Weiss Guertena.</p><p>For a long time he thought deeply about this issue, but in the end, he couldn’t keep his desire to go a secret. Lying felt dirty and wrong to him whenever he had to do it, especially lying to his family. Garry didn’t remember why exactly the topic had come up, his family didn’t like to talk about it after all. Yet it was the reason for his current life. They didn’t forgive him for going.</p><p>Now that alone wouldn’t be enough to tear such a big hole between them, but with everything piled up, maybe they were ready to let him go for good. Garry told himself he shared this sentiment, yet the sadness ran through him like a snake of thorns.</p><p> </p><p>There are a lot of things he would have liked to take with him on this unknown journey but had to leave behind, like his old guitar, painting equipment, and some of his favorite books. The latter wasn’t such a big deal, as he was able to visit the library when the thirst for literature made him restless. And after the terrifying incident at the art gallery, he had a hard time even looking at anything art related. Every portrait he saw looked like it was only a second away from jumping out and chasing after him. Every picturesque landscape felt like it was sucking him into a world he wouldn't be able to escape from. Art had become the very opposite of what it was before. The gentle stroke of a brush no longer felt like a comforting embrace, but a cold grip on his wrist. So he didn’t try anymore. Dolls were another issue entirely.</p><p> </p><p>But if the world you knew and loved was taken, where does it leave you? He felt empty, yet too full. Emotions bottled over but then again felt like they were unimportant. The one thing he remembered clearly though, the one thing that gave him some semblance of comfort in his own head whenever the painting issue inevitably came up, was the face of a young girl. She looked at him with dark maroon eyes, that held more concern and affection than how they first appeared. She asked him if he was alright, called him by his name, and Garry couldn’t help but smile softly whenever he thought of her.</p><p> </p><p>It’s been a little over a year since they had promised to meet again after the exhibit.</p><p> </p><p>Garry had decided to return to this town after a year of wandering the country like a stray. Something told him this was where he wanted to be, so Garry decided not to fight it. There was no other place for him to go, so why not?</p><p> </p><p>He tried to take on as many odd jobs as he could, but it was never nearly enough for him to afford a home. Newspaper delivery was something he could do, even if the many newspapers were heavy and he tripped often in the beginning. But slowly he got the hang of it and was able to at least have a little money every week. Garry also did pet sitting and dog walking, as well as house cleaning services. But those were rare as the town was filled with wealthy individuals who had a strange attitude towards people like him. A lot of people didn’t want to hire a homeless man in fear that he’d steal from them. He wasn’t dirty (a gym was nice enough to let him shower there for free) and tried to always look presentable, but there wasn’t much he could actually do when it came to clothes, as Garry simply didn’t have the money to afford them. The man still wore his tattered coat, which was a fashion choice but didn’t really do anything for him in this situation. Nonetheless, people always saw him as filthy and dangerous, when he was a gentle and often rather timid person. He didn’t like to bother others.</p><p> </p><p>So he slept on a playground, under a turtle shell with different holes on the sides kids could climb into. It wasn’t exactly rainproof, but better than nothing. On rainy nights he just had to make himself small.</p><p>The playground itself was near a school and a park, but during the day not a lot of children came to play there. Other than his turtle shell here was only a wooden climbing tower, a set of swings, a weird-smelling slide, and a few tires in the ground you could jump over. And Garry didn’t stay there a lot during the day as he tried to find work. But after about a month of trying and getting rejected, Garry stopped waking up early and let himself sleep in most days when he didn’t have to deliver newspapers on Sundays. He still woke up before lunch, so he would usually get himself some food after waking up and eat in solitude, sitting on the shell, or the swings.</p><p> </p><p>Some days he would wait for the nearby school to release its children and watch them walking by. Some of them stopped and played, but usually not for very long. When they came with their parents, they’d usually be pulled away when their mothers and fathers saw Garry occupying the space. He could understand, but it still stung a little. It wasn’t as if Garry would hurt any of them, it was more or less the opposite. Once a little girl fell from the swings and cried. Garry, as concerned and protective as he was, came to the girls' aid when he couldn’t see her parents anywhere. He helped her up and tried to calm her down, but the girls' mother soon ran and yelled at him, pulling her child away while Garry tried to explain that he just wanted to help. Of course, she didn’t listen to anything he had to say and the girl never came back after that.</p><p> </p><p>Garry wasn't always seen as scary and intimidating though. Some braver children curiously talked to him from time to time, though they would forget him soon anyway. Of course, he still treated them warmly and never forgot his manners. They asked a lot of things. Some were oddly personal, yet wouldn't seem too intrusive for a young child. Some were random and made him laugh while others would bring back memories he tried to bury.</p><p>A little boy once asked him why he covered his eye with his hair, as he couldn't possibly see this way. Garry chuckled at first and told him something silly like he was a pirate, which seemed to amuse the boy. But after that exchange, he felt a little worse than before. The young man was ashamed of the wound on his left eye. He could still see a little on that side, but the scar was ugly and unpleasant to look at. It made people watch him and that didn't feel good. That's why Garry covered it up in the first place, so nobody, including himself, would have to look at the scar on his face. Ib had never asked about it before. That's what he thought after being asked this question by the unfamiliar child. Whenever he saw a child his mind went to the little girl from the gallery. Was she alright? They did get out together and she seemed to have a good family from what he gathered. Did she eat enough? The last time he saw her she looked skinny and small, so Garry couldn't help but worry over her.</p><p>Fussing over Ib back then had really helped him conquer his own fears. Since he had little Ib to protect, the dangers of the art gallery didn't seem so overwhelming anymore. He thought that this feeling must have been what Ib's mother felt as well, but it didn't sit right with him to compare himself to Ib's mother. That would undermine the authority the lady had in a way. He felt close to Ib, wanted to see her again, wanted to know whether or not she was okay, but these things didn't make him any less of a stranger to Ib's family. To Ib, he was probably just her friend who talks like a lady (as she put it). While Garry felt like she was the daughter he would never have or something like a younger sister, he knew they weren't actually that close and his mind was so desperate for the affection that he rushed to conclusions that had no starting point. Ib had accepted him the way he was, didn't say mean things to hurt him and clung tightly onto his coat as if Garry was her guardian angel. It all brought him feelings he so dearly wished for. Being needed and helpful to someone felt right and good, so even a year later he wasn't able to let these feelings go.</p><p> </p><p>"Garry?"</p><p> </p><p>And just like that, he was back at the exhibition again.</p><p>He almost couldn't believe the young girl standing in front of him, looking up at him with hopeful maroon eyes full of wonder, her dark brown hair blowing gently in the wind, could be real.</p><p>Garry didn't notice himself falling to his knees, his half-eaten sandwich completely forgotten, until he realized the warmth filling his chest was a tight hug.</p><p>She clung to him and cried tears of joy. Garry gently held her and stroked her head until she calmed. She was real, wasn't she? Ib was really in his arms. She'd grown a little and Garry felt pride swelling up inside him, even though he didn't actually contribute anything to her growth. Maybe he did get a little too attached, but by the way the clung onto his shirt, it didn't seem like he was the only one.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Red Rose</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ib and Garry reunite, Ib's mother is not impressed.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ib's Family:</p><p>Rosetta Lacroix: Mother<br/>Walt Lacroix: Father</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Some days went by so fast she was surprised her head didn't start spinning.</p><p>Other days were slow and boring, making her sigh softly as she watched the leaves dance outside.</p><p>Today though was something in between.</p><p>School had been quite pleasant for Ib today. Her mother made egg rolls and cheese-filled meat for lunch with little cherry tomatoes on top. Her mother had tried to make a bunny with the meal, but the tomatoes as the eyes and nose rolled around in Ib's lunch box on her way to school and ruined that image. Ib loved bunnies. They were her favorite animals. On her tenth birthday, Ib had discretely asked her father for another bunny plush, which he wasn't able to deny her, much to the annoyance of Ib's mother who had enough of the bunnies. Ib and her father had secretly laughed about how bothered Rosetta was by all the plushies.</p><p>Ib wished for something else on her birthday, but she knew neither of her parents would be able to grant her this wish.</p><p>Yet, she didn't give up hope. One day she would meet Garry again. Garry, who protected her in the scary art gallery they got trapped in a year ago. Garry, who cared for her and provided safety when she was scared and lonely. Garry, who had a funny broken coat and talked like a pretty lady and knew all kinds of difficult words. She missed him so dearly. It got stronger with every passing day and Ib often grew restless because of her impatience. Not just once did Ib have a fit in the middle of the night, crying for Garry. Her parents were helpless when it happened as they didn't even know who this Garry person was. When they asked about him, Ib would give vague answers and tell them things they couldn't understand. It was frustrating to the girl as she had nobody to talk to about the things she experienced. She was old enough to know that her parents wouldn't believe any of it.</p><p>Garry experienced the same horrifying thing she had, so she could talk to him about it. Only Garry felt safe when it came to the gallery. A year ago she hadn't even truly realized all the dangers the gallery held, she didn't even truly understand what it meant to die. She had a better understanding of it now, at ten years old. Still, it was something Ib never had experiences with and thus she wasn't able to truly fear death. It made her look rather brave back then, hadn't it? Garry was an adult, that's why he understood. That's why he protected her so much, even if he was really scared himself. This made the young girl feel so much more appreciative of the adult. She may not have survived there all by herself, not even knowing how dangerous this world really was.</p><p>She just wanted to see him again.</p><p>On the day of her birthday, she waited all day for a gift from Garry, some kind of sign he was thinking of her, but of course, it never came. Garry didn't know when her birthday was. He couldn't know that her one wish was to see him again. For some reason, she thought about Garry a lot today. She drew a picture of him in art class but refused to show it to the teacher. Ib got in trouble for it, but her sad gaze seemed to touch her teacher's heart, so it was fine in the end. She just said it was something very personal and she didn't want others to see.</p><p>After school Ib stood in front of the gate, staring into the sky thoughtfully. Maybe the wind would carry him to her. Autumn leaves danced around Ib's feet and her hair wildly trembled around her face, annoying Ib with their constant need for attention. When the girl had enough she just grabbed her auburn hair and held it out of the way. Her mother was the one who always picked her up from school, but she had a doctor's appointment today and Ib would have to wait a while. The child got bored just standing in front of the school gates though after a while and decided to wait on the nearby playground.<br/>Some kids from her school went there before going home, so she knew where it was. Ib preferred to read or draw instead of playing in the dirt, so she never really wanted to go to a playground. But she liked the swings, so she decided to wait there and quickly texted her mother about it on her emergency phone that held her parent's numbers.</p><p>Wrapping her red scarf tighter around her throat, Ib grabbed her school bag and walked towards the playground, lost in thought all the while. Excitement bloomed in her chest for no reason and she was confused. Was there something? Why did she really want to go to this specific playground today? Her feet felt like they were moving on their own as she sped up, unable to keep this energy inside of her small body for much longer. She almost jogged the last part until Ib's feet suddenly stopped.<br/>There was... someone there. Someone familiar. A man sat on the swings, eating a sandwich. His hair was messy and fluffy looking, the color of her favorite crayon. He wore a ragged midnight blue coat that Ib wanted to wrap around her.</p><p>Their eyes met in a moment of silence as Ib looked up at the adult with glimmering eyes.</p><p>
  <em>"Garry!"</em>
</p><p>The next thing Ib knew was that she was running towards him, throwing herself in his readily waiting arms. If this was reality, she never wanted to let go again. But he was warm and solid, he was real. Garry was real and he was here, pressing Ibs fragile body against his chest as if she was the most treasured girl in the world. He hugged her just the way Ib's own father did when he comforted her after a bad dream, just with a little more Garry. Ib couldn't stop her tears of happiness from flowing as she sobbed and hid in the bony chest of the man who protected her through the worst experience of her life.<br/>He stroked her head gently, calming her down and protecting her. She heard him exhale shakily when he finally let go.</p><p>"You're here... You're safe, Ib. I've missed you. Are you doing alright? Eating well?"</p><p>His question was funny to Ib. He was already worrying about her again and she giggled softly. Garry seemed disheveled and a little messy, but he didn't smell as much as cigarette smoke as she remembered. Did he quit smoking for good? Good job, Garry! She wanted to say this but instead ended up just petting his fluffy hair. It made him chuckle.<br/>Garry stood up and Ib immediately stretched out her hands for him, scared that he'd leave again. She didn't want him to go away again! Garry seemed to understand and picked her up with a smile. Immediately her small arms wrapped themselves tightly around Garry's throat and he laughed again, a little surprised by her clingy behavior.</p><p>"Alright, alright. Let's sit down over there, okay?"</p><p>He said with a happy smile and carried Ib over to the turtle shell, seating her on top of it and climbing on himself to sit next to the girl. She fixed her hair as she waited for him to be seated before turning her head to the side, trying to look up at Garry as best she could. He was still really tall compared to her, but Garry had long legs, so his torso wasn't that much taller than Ib which made it easier for her to look at him. The girl's eyes held adoration that did not escape the adult, who was a little embarrassed by the fact that she seemed to look up to him that much. His gentle gaze found hers and he sighed.</p><p>"You missed my birthday, Garry."<br/>Ib said with soft disappointment, to which the man in question immediately wanted to apologize. But before he could say anything, Ib smiled at him.<br/><br/>"My birthday wish was that you'd come back. You promised, so don't go away again, okay?"<br/>There was no way Garry could at this point, so he nodded.</p><p><br/>"Of course. I'll stay here. But I'll still get you a birthday gift. I'm sorry I missed it, Ib. A late happy birthday to you! You're already ten years old, aren't you?"<br/>His voice was cheerful as he tried to make Ib smile again. She nodded in excitement, feeling happy that Garry remembered that detail. The girl then quickly opened her school bag and pulled out the drawing she made in school that day, showing it to Garry nervously. She was really proud of it, so she really hoped he'd like it too. He eyed it for a moment before his face lit up with joy.</p><p>"Wow, Ib! Did you draw this? Is this me? I look so pretty!"<br/>He commented and laughed softly. The young girl pushed the picture into Garrys arms, signaling that it was a present for him. He took it gratefully and fondly looked at it once again.</p><p>"You're giving me a gift even though you were the birthday girl."<br/>Garry teased softly while his hand automatically fixed Ib's scarf so her throat wouldn't be exposed to the cold air. The girl leaned against him happily. It felt to good to be together again after such a long time... Well, to Garry a year wasn't actually that long. To Ib though it felt like forever since she was rather young and experienced time differently. But even though the minutes usually felt like hours passing, this time it was the opposite.</p><p>"Ib!"<br/>She heard her mother's voice call out, strangely fearful. What was she scared of? Was there something wrong? Ib waved to her mother but didn't move to leave Garry's side. The adult had a strange expression on his face that Ib didn't understand.</p><p>"Ib, what are you doing? Who is this person?"<br/>Rosetta asked and hurried towards the both of them, causing Garry to jump down from the turtle shell, almost as if he wanted to run away. Was her mother scary? She tilted her head curiously as the adults acted weird in her eyes. But her eyes were shining again when she realized she could finally introduce Garry to her mother!</p><p>"What are you doing with my daughter?" <br/>Her mother's voice was strict and chilling, making even Garry unsure. He backed off a little, eyes fixed on the ground. Before he could mutter apologies though, Ib jumped from the shell as well and took his hand to pull him back.</p><p>"It's Garry! Mom, it's Garry! I told you about Garry. The blue man from the art gallery that protected me from the scary girls!" <br/>She introduced him and Rosetta quieted a little. She wasn't actually convinced that this Garry person was someone this important to her daughter, but if what Ib said about him was true, then maybe he protected her from some mean people in the gallery?</p><p>"Y-yes. My name is Garry Starling, ma'am. I'm a friend of Ib's. I'm very sorry if I gave you the wrong impression! I swear I don't have bad intentions." <br/>Garry bowed before the older woman respectfully, seemingly surprising her with his rather polite way of speaking. His voice was soft and timid.</p><p>"I... I see. Well... If you are speaking the truth, would you like to visit us for tea tomorrow? I have to say, Ib talks a lot about you, so I'm rather curious what kind of person you are. I'd like to make sure that it is safe for me to let my daughter see you." <br/>Rosetta answered, though she was very unsure about this offer. Letting such a strange man into their home like that, if it was anyone else, she probably wouldn't have done this. But Ib had cried for this person in her sleep more often than Rosetta could count and her daughter was obviously very delighted by his company.</p><p>They ended up agreeing to meet the next day at the Lacroix home and talk over tea. Her husband would be out by then, so they would have time to talk in peace.</p><p>Ib wasn't happy to say goodbye, but the promise of seeing Garry again tomorrow was enough to make her leave with her mother, waving to Garry until they were out of sight.</p><p>What a situation they'd gotten themselves into...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Rose Blend Tea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ib's mother invites Garry to tea and listens to the story about the gallery</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“It was very kind of you to invite me to tea, Miss. Thank you very much.”</p><p>Ib's mother nodded briefly and sat down the teapot. Garry inhaled slowly, trying to discreetly guess the blend by smell. He could tell it was a black tea blend right away, common for afternoon tea served to guests. There was a familiar hint of roses that made him smile gently in remembrance. The sweet smell of honey only made it all the more pleasant. Rosetta sat down across from her visitor and smiled politely, though it didn’t reach her eyes. The way she watched his every move felt more like he was observed by a teacher than having a talk over tea with his friend’s mother. But he did understand her hesitation and distrust to some degree. Her invitation itself was nothing short of a surprise for the young man.</p><p>“I do hope you’ll help yourself to some cake. Ib mentioned to me that you liked sweet things, so I believed bee sting cake to be a good choice.”<br/>
Rosetta said solemnly before proceeding to fill first Garry's then her own delicate cup with steaming dark tea. She added a few drops of honey in each of their cups before nodding to Garry.</p><p>“Please, go ahead.”</p><p>Garry, of course, smiled gratefully and nodded before carefully taking the cup. He blew across the surface of the tea gently, watching as the small ripples he created moved the tiny rose petals around. For a moment, he was almost in a trance.</p><p>“A Rose Congou blend? It’s been a while since I had the pleasure of drinking such an exquisite blend.”<br/>
He commented fondly. Rosetta's gaze softened slightly at his words. Garry did seem to be a more cultured person than she first believed him to be.</p><p>She watched him take a few sips before he put the cup down. Following his example, the brunette lady took a moment to enjoy the sweet floral taste accompanying the aroma of expensive black tea, aided by the addition of some honey.</p><p>“Please, Mr. Starling, tell me about yourself. Ib has told me some things but I’d like to hear from you personally. It was quite a surprise to me that you know my daughter, so I would like to have a clearer picture of you.”<br/>
It was the bluntest way Rosetta could have said it, but Garry managed to keep the displeased frown he wanted to make off his face and instead helped himself to some cake, as he was offered before.</p><p>The creamy treat fit with the chosen tea beautifully, like it was meant to be enjoyed just this way. The delicate cream and sweet honey-covered almonds melted together in his mouth, creating a rather specific pleasant taste. He then put away the fork to answer the woman's question, not wanting to keep her waiting for too long.<br/>
Truthfully, Garry wasn’t sure what exactly to talk about. Sure, he’d had a lot of experiences in his life, but as he was a more private person most of these things, in conclusion, were also rather private.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I’m not quite sure what to say. I’m not good at talking about myself.”<br/>
He confessed in a shy voice that mimicked his feelings of uncertainty. He took another sip of tea, once again relishing in the mixture of the taste the tea and cake left behind. Rosetta smiled wryly and nodded in support, basically telling him it was fine if he took the time to gather his thoughts. And so that’s what Garry did.</p><p>“Well, first of I’d like to offer you the option to call me Garry. It feels rather strange to me to be addressed as Mr. Starling. But it is only an offer.”<br/>
He started, smiling gently once again. His feminine and sophisticated way of talking seemed to please the lady, as she looked at him with a little more respect than she had before.</p><p>“I’m currently 26 years old, that might be a good starting point. About a year ago my family and I had a difference of opinions and I decided to leave. Due to my degree, I wasn’t able to find work though and after traveling for a while, I decided to return to this town to hopefully find a place to stay. I say return, but I was not born or raised here. A year ago, I visited the Guertena art exhibit held in honor of his passing. That’s where I met your daughter.”</p><p>He stopped. The exhibit... </p><p>Garry couldn’t possibly talk about this other world they were pulled into. He didn’t want to lie to Ib's mother, so he decided not to dwell on the subject of his and Ibs meeting there and instead explain himself.</p><p>“You see, the artist is actually my estranged grandfather. I do not remember him, but I wished to honor him at least after his death. They say he lost himself in his art to a point of no return, which is why my family decided to cut ties with him when I was young. I do enjoy art as well, or I did before visiting the exhibit, but never to the extent of my grandfather. I am very interested in literature though and have a degree in it as well, but I’m sad to say that it’s not the most useful degree to have when looking for work.”</p><p>Rosetta listened silently, following every graceful word he spilled, nodding along from time to time. She did like literature as well and spent a lot of time reading, which most likely influenced Ib as well. The girl preferred to stay inside and read or draw, often to the disappointment of her father, who was a man that liked to experience a lot of things and often had to face the fact that his wife and daughter didn’t share his thirst for adventure nearly as much, though Ib was easily talked into more activities she ended up enjoying. They went to the amusement park once and Ib had loved it, despite being too small for the big rides (much to the relief of her worried mother).</p><p>“Literature is a fascinating thing. I find myself captured by the well thought out words of a poet more often than I’d like to admit. May I ask what works you enjoy, Garry?”<br/>
She put on a smile as she said this, taking Garry up on his offer to call him by his first name. Maybe it was to establish her authority, though Garry respected her even without this reaffirmation that she was the older of the two.</p><p>“I enjoy a lot of different genres and authors. Though I can’t say I’m able to stay away from Leo Tolstoy’s works. War and Peace, as well as The Death of Ivan Ilych are my two favorite works published by him. I’m simply fascinated with the way he can make even the most outwardly horrible people so human. I have to admit, his works opened my heart in a lot of ways and helped me sympathize with different people that I normally would not have questioned. He really is able to teach people to see through the eyes of another and understand that people are complicated and multi-layered.”</p><p>He answered, a little more cheerful, now that the conversation has moved on to something he was passionate about. Though he was soon brought back to reality by Rosetta’s strong gaze.</p><p>“I see. I’m familiar with his works and I have to say I share your sentiment. Though, to get back to the topic at hand, I’d like to know how you’ve come to form a friendship with my daughter. Ib isn’t usually one to make friends with strangers, especially when meeting them only once. I want to know why she’s so enamored with you.”</p><p>Garry averted his eyes, uncertain and conflicted. Could he tell her? Did Ib already say something? He bit his lip anxiously. This could be a crucial moment. If Rosetta was to allow her daughter to accompany an adult man she had to be able to put her trust in him and that was nothing he’d achieve by presenting himself as a man who pushed his delusions onto innocent children, making them believe crazy lies he claimed to be reality. So he softly shook his head.</p><p>“This is not something I’m able to… talk about. The details of what happened at the gallery sound like a work of fiction, even to me. It was something that shouldn’t have been possible and I don’t think anyone would believe. I don’t know if I would, even though I experienced this specific event myself. I don’t know if Ib told you about it already, but I assume she didn’t.”</p><p>Rosetta's eyes tensed as she listened. Ib had said something about this gallery whenever she had these fits in the middle of the night, but nothing made any sense to either of Ib's parents. She cried for Garry in those times, asking him to protect her, asking for him not to go to sleep. She mentioned one more name that Rosetta wasn’t able to remember Ib knowing. Mary. Somehow, this Mary girl was also involved in the strange rambles of her daughter from time to time.</p><p>“Are you familiar with someone named Mary?”<br/>
<br/>
This question made his blood freeze up. Garry just stared at her with wide eyes, now filled with fear and regret, guilt, and sorrow. He couldn’t answer for a moment, too shocked to hear this name spill out of Rosetta’s mouth so ominously. He slowly moved his hands to his thighs and placed them there to ground himself.</p><p>“She told you about her. Mary… was someone we met there as well. But she is not a real person. She is one of Guertena’s artworks, the painting of a little girl. After I learned this, she tried to hurt us. We had no other choice but to burn it. I couldn’t let Ib get hurt, I- After she saved my life-”</p><p>Rosetta loudly put down her cup, her face strict and confused. It looked like she was about to throw Garry out of her house, but before Rosetta was able to say anything, the timid voice of her daughter pulled her out of the moment.</p><p>“You don’t believe him because you didn’t see it. It was really creepy and dark there. Dolls and scary painting ladies tried to hurt us, but Garry protected me. Don’t be mean to him. It was only because of Garry that I came back and remembered. If you’re mean to Garry, I won’t like you anymore!”</p><p>Ib’s words surprised even Garry himself, who just stared at the child with shock and worry. He stood up and knelt down before the child, a gentle smile on his face once again.</p><p>“You shouldn’t say these kinds of things, alright? And eavesdropping is really rude. A world inside the gallery is nothing people would believe. It’s only normal that your mother wants to protect you if a scary man says these things.”</p><p>He tried to reason with her, apparently getting through to the child, even though she protested that Garry wasn't scary at all. She nodded and Garry took that as a sign to stand back up, looking at his seat with unsure eyes. Was he allowed to sit back down? Was he still welcome? Rosetta made the decision for him though, as she seemed to have accepted the fact that going against Garry would mean making her daughter sad and angry.</p><p>“Alright, I’ll listen. Whatever it is you say happened, I’ll discard my common sense for now and listen to it. Please.”</p><p>Garry sat back down anxiously, still not sure if it was a good idea to tell Ib's mother about all the things her daughter went through. He would have liked Ib to leave so the child wouldn’t have to relive this moment, but Ib wanted to stay and climbed into Garry's lap in protest, leaning against his chest almost protectively. To her, finally someone listened. She could talk about it freely for the first time and even initiated the retelling of their story. Garry only chimed in to explain things in more detail when he saw Rosetta had questions but let Ib tell it on her own otherwise. All these things the young girl had bottled up inside spilled out like a fountain of words despite her usually reserved and quiet behavior.</p><p>By the end of it, she talked about how Garry was hurt by the glass shards from Mary’s painting and she had to take care of him, so she gave Garry her handkerchief, which she had gotten in trouble for losing after the exhibit. Almost as if to prove her right, Garry pulled the handkerchief in question out of his pocket, only now remembering that he hadn’t given it back to Ib yet.</p><p>Rosetta was quiet at first, mulling over the story she heard. It didn’t sound real, but the way they talked about it, detailed such weirdly specific things, she couldn’t help but feel that there was no way both of them were telling such a well thought out lie. And in a way, it made sense. Ib was strangely scared of mannequins after they had visited. While Rosetta understood that they could be fear inducing, it felt like Ib had a reason to fear them that she refused to talk about. And Garry talked about how he was never able to look at art the same way again, so even if they were lying about this other world in the gallery, some things they said had to be somewhat true.</p><p>“Okay. I’ll believe your story for now. I have my reservations, but if it really happened the way you described it, I’ll accept your friendship with my daughter, Garry. Of course, I can’t fully trust you yet, but I’m sure you understand.”</p><p>She finally said, much to the relief of Garry and Ib who smiled at each other in understanding. It meant a lot for them, especially after all this doubt they held in their hearts before. Garry even teared up a little, making Ib fuss over him as she tried to dry his tears with her newly returned handkerchief and Garry protesting since he’d just given it back and couldn’t dirty it immediately after. Rosetta watched them with a hint of fondness in her eyes. She doubted Garry had good intentions at first, but she knew he wouldn’t hurt Ib. It was plain to see how much he cared, even if Ib's mother was unable to understand the connection they shared.</p>
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